Overhead conveyer system



Aug. 2; 1932. F. C, HARRls 1,869,421

OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed April 2l, 1928 2 Sheets-i-Sheeb lATTORNEY Aug. 2, 1932. F, C', HARRIS 1,869,421

OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSTEM Fned Apr11 21, 1928 sheets-sheet 2 77 ZJ lINVENToR 30 BB3/VL?, M

AT ORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNETl y srrss Par-Nr tra@ FRANK C.HARRIS, OF CLEVELAND, OIIIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MONORAIL yCOMPANY, A vCO1'1LIPOBMA1ION OF OHIO OVERHEAD CONVEYER SYSllIEllll'.V

Application filed April 21,

This invention relates to an improvement y in overhead conveyersystems.V More particularly it relates to a quickly detachable conveyersystem. Y i

It has been customary to load and unload railway box cars and the likemanually with the aid of hand trucks or similar devices which areineilicient, time consuming, require much human labor, and whereby thel0 articles are handled roughly.

It is an object of this invention to providea conveyer system for boxcars and the like which system can be rapidly assembled and disassembledwithin the car.

It is a further object to provide a conveyer system which can be used incars of different widths and lengths and in cars which vary in widththroughout their length.

It is anothery object to provide an over- 29 head conveyer system forbox cars having a transfer track adapted to register with the track of aconveyer system'disposed outside of the car.

c till another object is to provide an improved collapsible crane.

Other objects will be apparent from the specilication and from theaccompanying drawings in which latter- Y Fig. l is a fragmentaryvertical elevation showing the track conveyer system assembled inposition within a` box car;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View ot a track conveyer system; Y y

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a crane runway showing a joint therein;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a crane runway showing a modifiedk i'ormof supporting means therefor;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the `supporting means showing the end of acrane with 'the safety stops in operativel position;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Vthe safety stops carried by the end of thecrane bridge;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the crane bridge showing thesafety stops in inoperative position;

Fig. 8 is a section upon the line 8 8 of Fig. l;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail side elevation `is carried bythe bridge ofthe crane7 and the 192s.v serial No. 271,753. i

the outside conveyer system to the crane runway; and Y Fig. 14 is -aside elevation of the bracket showing its connection to the crane runwayand to the stationary track. Y

In its general aspects the device comprises sectional crane runwaysdetachably afhxed directly tothe walls of a box car or the like. y Acrane is mounted for travel upon the crane runways, the crane comprisingtrucks7 the wheels otwhich ride upon the crane runways; and a bridgewhich is detachably connected to the trucks. A track for a trolley trackof an outside conveyerA system is suitably supported to register withthe track on they crane bridge.

Referring particularly to the drawings the device is shown as applied toa box car l. The opposing inner side walls of the box car carry cranerunways rigidly secured directly thereto. Each crane runway comprises Ya plurality of angle bars disposed in end to end relation. The iiange2.0i each angle bar is provided with a plurality of T-shaped slots 3through which nails or other suitable fastening means areadapted to bepassed to vsecure the crane runway to the sides of the box car. Theiiange4 of each angle bar carries rigidly, in spaced relation to theflange 2, the guide bar 5 which cooperates withthe flange 4 to form aguide for the crane wheels 11. The guide bar can be narrowed in width asshown in Fig. 2 to compensate for variations in the width of the box carso as to prevent the wheels 11 from slipping ofi the crane runways. Theguide 5 can be formed integral with the-flange 4 it desired. The anglebars which cooperate to li'orm the track on 100 one side of the box carare positioned in end to end relation and the guide bars 5 carriedthereby abut in offset position with respect to the abutting ends of theangle bars. A reinforcing plate 6 extends rigidly across the abuttingends of the angle bars. Additional means for supporting the cranewaysare shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and comprise posts 7 having an enlarged footadapted to rest against the floor of the box car and carrying a bracketS which supports the craneway. The post 7 may be removably secured tothe walls of the box car by means of nails or the like passed throughthe T-sliaped slots of the post into the box car.

The crane comprises two trucks, each adapted to run upon one of thecrane runways and carrying a bridge 9. Each truck comprises a frame 10which supports rotatably the flanged wheels 11. The frame 10 hasdepending flanges 13 forming a slot adapted to engage the T-shaped headof the bridge 9 for longitudinal adjustment thereon. The frame 10carries a housing having a cam surface 15 and a cam lever-16 is disposedwithin the housing, one surface thereof bearing against the cam surface.15 and the opposite side thereof extending through the housing andbearing against the bridge 9. Rotation of the cam levers 16 is adaptedto effect a locking or unlocking of the bridge with respect to theframes 10. The cam lever is locked in adjusted position by means of aspring-pressed detent which is adapted to engage with recesses 2Opositioned in the frame The crane can be assembled or disassembledwithin the box car or the like, by positioning the trucks upon theopposite crane runways and then inserting the ends of the bridge in theslots of the trucks formed by flanges 13. It is desirable that means beprovided for securing one or both of the trucks upon the craneway whileassembling the bridge in position. A latch pin 21 is slidably mounted inopenings in flanges 22 and 23 of the frame 10. The latch pin is adaptedto be pressed by means of a spring 24 into engagement with the holes 25positioned at spaced intervals in the crane runway. The latch pinprevents the truck from tipping out of its position upon the cranerunway. The latch pin is provided with a laterally extending arm whichis adapted to be engaged behind a shoulder 28 carried by the frame 10,and when so engaged functions to maintain the latch pin in withdrawnposition. rlhe pridge is provided with a track 29 for a trol- Aconnecting track section, which may be associated with an overheadmonorail system disposed outside of the box car, is suitably positionedto cooperate with the crane. The connecting track section 30 enters thedoor of the box car and is secured to the crane runway by means of abracket 31. The connecting track section is provided with a flanged headidentical with the head of the bridge 9 and is connected to the bracket31 by an arrangement of parts identical in all respects with theconnecting means of the u frame 10 previously described. The bracket 31is connected to the crane runway by means of a plurality of hook-shapedprojections 32 which are adaptedto pass through and engage holes 83 inthe flange 2 of the craneway. The connecting track section is soadjusted with respect to the bracket 31 that it permits movement of thecrane past the same yet forms a continuous track surface when the cranetrack and connecting track section are in alignment. riChe latch pin 21also fitting into holes 25 in the crane runway holds the crane in theproper position to bring track 29 into alignment with connecting rail 30so that trolleys will pass from crane to connecting rail.

Safety stops are provided both lat the ends of the track on the craneand at the end of the connecting track section to function when theseends are open. The safety stops are comprised of the dogs which aremounted for pivotal movement as a unit upon opposite sides of the headof the bridge and connecting track sections. The dogs are each providedwith a weighted end which is normally adapted to projct downwardly intothe path of a trolley. t ngagement of a trolley with the end causes thelatter to abut against the track and prevents further progress of thetrolley. As the crane track moves into alignment with the connectingtrack section it is desirable that the safety stops be withdrawn. Theheads of the dogs 35 are cam shaped and as the opposed dogs are broughtinto mutual engagement pivotal movement of these dogs is effectedthereby withdrawing the dogs out of the path of the trolley.

lVhile a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be apparent that modifications can be made thereinwithin the spirit and scope of the invention and such modifications areintended to be covered by the appended claims:

What I claim is- 1. An overhead conveyer system for box cars or thelike, comprising crane runways, means for securing the runways to thebox car, a collapsible crane including trucks having wheels adapted toengage the runways, and means for securing the trucks to a runway whenthe crane is collapsed.

2. An overhead conveyer system for box cars or the like comprising cranerunways, means for securing the runways rigidly to the box car, a cranehaving wheels adapted to run on the runways and including a track for atrolley, a connecting track section disposed at an angle to the runwaysand includlli inga track for a trolley, means for locking the tracksection to a runway with its track in position to receive a trolley fromthe track of the crane, and safety stops associated with the crane andtrack section which cooperate to nnblock the crane track, and tracksection when the latter are in alignment.

3. An overhead conveyer system for box cars or the like, comprisingcraneways, means for securing the craneways to the box cars, a craneincluding trucks having wheels adapted to run on the craneways and atrack for a trolley, means for independently maintaining each of saidtrucks on said craneways, a track section, means for supporting the samein position to co-operate with the track on the crane fo-r passage of atrolley, stop means adapted to engage the trolley at the ends of thetrack on the crane and on the track section when the latter are not incooperative position, said stop means being adapted to be Withdrawn fromthe path of the trolley when the said tracks are in cooperativeposition.

l. The combination with a railway car having side openings to receiveand discharge freight, removable tracks mountedl on the inner side wallsof the car, trucks adapted to move on said tracks, means forindependently maintaining each of said trucks on'said tracks, a craneextending transversely of said car, and means on said trucks forslidably and adjustably receiving said crane.

5. The combination with a railway car having side openings to receivekand discharge freight, removable tracks mounted on the inner side wallsof the car, guide members disposed on said tracks, trucks adapted tomove on said tracks, means for securing said trucks in position on saidtracks, a crane extending transversely of said car, hoist means adaptedto move on said crane, and means on said trucks for slidably andadjustably receiving said crane.

6'. In combination with a railway car havingy side openings to receiveand discharge freight, an exterior runway, removable tracks mounted onthe inner side walls of said car, guide members on said tracks, trucksadapted to engage said guide members, means for securing said trucks tosaid tracks, a crane extending transversely of said car, and means forsecuring said runway in aligned position with said crane.

7 The combination with a box car or the like of a pair of relativelyremovable crane carrying rails disposed along the inner walls of saidcar, an exterior runway, and means y for securing said runway to saidcrane carrying rails.

8. The combination with a railway car having side openings to receiveand discharge freight, tracksmounted on the inner sideV walls of thecar, trucks adapted to move on said tracks, means forv independentlymaintaining each of said trucks on said tracks, a crane,.means on saidtrucks for slidably and adjustably receiving said crane, and means forsecuringv said crane in position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature this 17th day ofApril, 1928.

' FRANK C. HARRIS.

